


Stay Alive

by Gallicenae



Series: Misc Fic Gifts [8]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Mass Effect
Genre: Angst, Crossover, M/M, Mass Effect 3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2019-01-31 10:48:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12680349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gallicenae/pseuds/Gallicenae
Summary: The Reapers have invaded the galaxy, Dorian is stuck on a carrier bound for Earth, and Vaxus is at ground-zero fighting for his life. Will they come out of it all alive? (Dragon Age/Mass Effect Crossover featuring ajir's Vaxus Trevelyan.)





	Stay Alive

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ajir](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ajir/gifts).



“I finished the last one you sent, Dorian! See?” Vax held a small silver mech model up against the vidscreen, eager to show off his handiwork. 

Dorian smiled, hoping his exhaustion wouldn’t be apparent thousands of miles away. He was on his third transfer in just as many months, and these vidcalls were the only thing keeping him going. “Yes. I’m glad it arrived without any issues.”

“Well, Sera says the only reason it managed to make it this far was because someone thought it was relevant to the war effort. Something about being mislabeled. She swiped it up before anyone could take a second look.”

“It most certainly _is_ relevant to the war effort.” 

Vax gave Dorian a closed grin in response. They did their best not to mention the Reaper war during their brief conversations, but after Shepard’s near-disastrous run-in with a reaper on Rannoch, it was hard not to feel the constant weight of the threat. The commander had nearly died, _again,_ to bring the creature down - and that had only been one.

Dorian cut in, “They have me on a carrier now. Or will, rather, once everything here at the Citadel is taken care of. The SSV Nairobi. She-”

“What are you doing on a carrier, Dorian?” The note of concern was obvious.

Leaning into the vidscreen, Dorian squeezed his eyes shut as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He had no fucking idea. “My father said some things to the captain, said they would need a combat-capable scientist aboard. Something about how I’d be a valuable asset with my degrees in advanced biotics and inter-stellar warp travel theory.” He dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand, “It doesn’t really matter, Amatus.”

“Dorian.”

“The ship hasn’t seen battle. None of her systems have been tested sufficiently-”

“To your taste.” Vax leaned back in his chair knowing Dorian would use the opportunity to vent the frustrations he’d built up since their previous call. The man never gave himself a break.

Dorian’s voice developed an edge, one that Vaxus knew always preceded rather vicious tirades. “Yes, to _my_ taste. They’ve put me as lead science officer on a battle cruiser and want to stick me in engineering. So no, her systems have not been tested sufficiently, especially given the fact that the Third Fleet has been all but entirely decimated after the last attack!” He crossed his arms and glared off to the side, not wanting to direct his anger and frustration at the only man willing to listen to it. 

Vax had heard what happened to the Third Fleet at Arcturus Station. He didn’t want to tell Dorian that he’d been keeping tabs on all of the Reaper battles, marking each one as they steadily drew closer to Earth.

“If we’re headed for a war zone, they should at least put the ship through her paces. There’s only so much theorizing I can do about using biotic abilities to augment FTL drives, and I’d rather not attempt to put theory into practice just yet.”

Dorian might have wanted that detail about his destination to slip by, but his lover latched on to it. Some of the fleets had been bypassed entirely, but no one would count that as a victory, not in the nightmare they all knew was coming. “Which war zone?”

The question hung between them. Some part of Vaxus already knew, the part that didn’t want Dorian to say anything because that would make it real.

—-

 

Sorry for the Missed Calls - 20:11:2186

_______________________

From: Vaxus Trevelyan

 

_Love,_

_I’m sorry I’ve had to cancel our calls the last couple of weeks. They’ve been moving us around, trying to clear out as many civilians as possible before all hell breaks loose. Which it will. Wishing it won’t happen isn’t going to stop it this time. Once we establish firmer ground control, I’ll look into communications and see if I can convince the higher ups to give us a few minutes._

_Until then, stop trying to do all the work yourself. You’re on a cruiser with a team of people, not sheltered away on a remote outpost - let them pick up the slack._

_I love you,_

_Vax_

 

—-

 

So Much for ‘Team’work - 05:12:2186

_____________________  
From: Dorian Pavus

 

_Amatus,_

_You would not believe what I’ve had to put up with from this ‘team’ I have just to get the drive cores calibrated. They think arguing with me is some kind of pastime they’ll get credit for. And people say I’m the one who needs to get out more often._

 

—-

 

Just Tell Me You’re Alive - 22:12:2186  
___________________  
From: Dorian Pavus

 

_Amatus,_

_I have heard the reports of what’s happening on Earth. The command staff have kept everyone on their toes, making us double, then triple check all outputs and system parameters. They’re terrified. I’m trying not think about why._

_We’ll rendezvous with a number of other fleets in a matter of hours, and then we’ll see it for ourselves. It astounds me that a ship with this many engines can’t go any faster._

_I don’t care how you do it, but stay safe. Stay alive. Whatever it takes._

_Always yours,_

_Dorian_

 

—-

“Sir, there’s a call for you.” A corporal stood at attention outside the laboratory doors, his face a mask as he motioned for Dorian to follow him. “If you would.”

It took all of Dorian’s self-control not to run ahead to operations where they’d been filtering communications to and from the planet’s surface. Every nerve in his body was wound tight from waiting.

"Coming up groundside, so the connection’s a bit shoddy.”

“Understood, corporal. Thank you.”

“Of course, sir.” 

The young man led the rest of the way in silence, and Dorian was too preoccupied trying not to imagine the worst scenario to offer any banter of his own. The crew was silent as they made their way through the corridors. Dorian could feel them all holding their breath, hoping against everything that they would come out of this war alive.

Dorian was directed to a vidcom and left alone as the corporal patched through the necessary connections. The picture was grainy, cutting out every few seconds before someone managed to stabilize it. Wherever the call was coming from, it had suffered heavy fire, the walls in the background were on the edge of collapsing, and Dorian could hear rounds of artillery being shot.

And then Vax’s face came into focus. His right eye was closed, a recent gash raw with makeshift stitches running down across his cheekbone. He squinted at the camera with his good eye, and once he registered Dorian’s face staring back at him, the smile that erupted from his lips lifted all of Dorian’s worries.

 _“You’re alive!_ Thank the bloody Maker and all his kin!”

Vax scratched at his jaw with an exhausted, yet quirky grin. “You’re not going to say anything about the beard?”

Dorian chuckled, relief rushing through him. “I think I can handle a couple weeks of you not shaving because you were too busy killing Reapers.”

His lover smiled back, the smudges of dirt on his face following the crinkles around his eyes. Biotic explosions could be heard in the background, and Dorian could pick out soldiers yelling orders. Vax tried not to let it distract him away from the call, as if this was his every day. Dorian realized it was. 

“Your letters came through alright, but outbound communications have been cut for a while. We’ve only now been able to get them back up, and even then it’s-” The ground shook and Vax reached out to steady the camera, “Temperamental at best.” 

“I’m just glad you’re alright, Amatus.” If he could have reached through the screen and hugged him, Dorian would have. “We’re about-”

A low thrumming came over the channel, growing steadily louder as it disrupted the line. Dorian caught Vax’s outline through the scratchy feed as he pulled a gun up and took aim. A piercing shriek carried through the comms, and Dorian found his breath caught in his throat, wishing only one thing. _Stay alive. Stay alive. Stay alive! Maker, please!_ A grenade went off, clipping the vidscreen in the explosion and knocking it to the ground. He saw Vax’s boots and the rapid light of heated clips as they fired at an unknown assailant. He saw his lover take cover against a felled beam before another explosion knocked the camera upward. That was when Dorian saw it; that was when his heart fell through with dread - the red eye of a Reaper searching for a target.


End file.
